The Android FlyTrap Malware is set up to hijack your Facebook account. And in this article, we have highlighted ways on how to easily keep yourself safe from this virus. Android Malware attacks have increased in numbers since the start of 2021.
We keep on hearing about a new virus or malware almost every month. Researchers have discovered an Android Trojan, named FlyTrap, which has compromised more than 10,000 devices across 144 countries. It uses a variety of methods to spread, through social media hijacking, third-party app stores, and side-loaded applications.
What is Android FlyTrap Malware?
FlyTrap malware enters your phone through mobile apps that provide users with free coupons for various services such as Netflix and sports. The app engages the user and eventually asks them to log in to their Facebook account to cast their vote or collect the coupon code.
As this is all fake, after logging in, the user is presented with a message stating that “Coupon expired after redemption and before spending.” With this, their Facebook account details have been recorded; all while the user is unaware.
The session-hijacking campaign was initially distributed via Google Play as well as third-party app stores. For its part, Google Play removed the malicious apps after Zimperium zLabs gave it the heads-up.
The malware, however, is still being distributed on third-party, unsecured app stores, “highlighting the risk of sideloaded applications to mobile endpoints and user data,” Zimperium pointed out.
The FlyTrap malware hijacks a user’s Facebook accounts. The information collected from the victim’s Android device includes their Facebook ID, location, email address, IP address. Not only this it also includes the cookies and tokens associated with the Facebook account.
Hacked Facebook sessions are then used to spread the malware by sending personal messages with links to the victim’s contacts. The Trojan also uses the victim’s geolocation details that can be used any way that it wants to use it.